The Lost Princess
by Snaily
Summary: Why is it that one crucial lady was left out of the Swan Princess? Odile, the twin sister of Princess Odette, was more crucial to the story than people realize. Includes lyrics and actual dialogue from the movie.
1. Scheming

**Another swing in a nostalgia attack. I loved the Swan Princess movies as a child and have been doing some playing around with the plot. The movie stayed very closely to the original ballet's plot, except for one thing: Odile. She was replaced by Bridget in the movie. Well, I decided to mix things up a bit by adding Odette's supposed evil twin. I recognize that in the ballet they weren't actually twins, but I wanted to see what would happen if they were. Some parts of the movie seemed to have some consistency issues, but adding Odile fixed that! So I hope you enjoy this story, as I'm very proud of it so far. Reviews are very much appreciated! :)**

_Once upon a time, there was a King named William, who ruled a large and mighty kingdom. And yet he was sad, for he was growing old, and had no child to inherit the throne. Then, happily, two daughters were born, princesses, and they were given the names Odile and Odette. Kings and queens came from all around to offer their gifts to the children. Among them were the widowed Uberta and her young son, Prince Derek. It was then that William and Uberta happened upon the same idea. Derek and Odette would be brought together each summer in the hopes that they would fall in love and join their kingdoms forever. _

_But unknown to all was another plan, that of the evil enchanter Rothbart. The princesses' births were of little concern to him, for he was preparing to take William's kingdom by means of the Forbidden Arts. On the eve of his assault, William attacked, and Rothbart's powers were plunged into darkness. Despite calls for his death, the enchanter was only banished. Many feared King William too kind. But in time, the threat was forgotten, and all thoughts soon turned to that not too distant summer when Derek and Odette would meet._

* * *

"NO! I WON'T GO! I WON'T, I WON'T!" The young princess shrieked as her governesses tried to slip a pink dress over her head.

"I _will not_, Odette," her mother corrected. "If you are going to protest, would you at least care to do it with proper grammar?" The fair-haired lady clucked her tongue as she attempted to run a brush through her other daughter's hair. Odile was being quite as difficult as her sister, albeit quieter. She squirmed about the bed, taking her slippers off and picking at the bracelet around her wrist. "Besides, if you behave well, this may not be so bad for you as you believe." The queen nodded had her ladies' maids and sent them away. They left Odette reluctantly, for the girl was still clinging to the bedpost with her head through the sleeve of her dress. Yet they dare not refuse the queen.

"My dears," Queen Annika murmured to calm her daughters once the room was empty of all but them. "Listen closely. Odette, you really would not like to go to Queen Uberta's kingdom, would you?"

"No, Mama," the girl moaned, pressing her cheek against the bedpost to which she still held tightly. Her blue eyes were just beginning to tear up.

"Well, we will just have to do something about that, will we not?" the queen said. She smiled as she began to reveal the simple aspects of her plan to her young children. "Odile, how would you feel about going on Odette's adventure for her?" she asked. She looked at the other girl, who was now playing with the shoe she had successfully removed. She looked virtually identical to her older twin. The small differences between them were virtually indeterminable by someone who did not know them very well. For example, the tighter point of Odette's chin to Odile's rounder one, or the silver flecks unique to Odile's eyes. These blue eyes instantly lit up.

"Oh, Mama! I think I'd very much like to!" the little girl squeaked. She leapt to her feet and began to dance on the huge bed. In addition to the tiny differences in their appearances, their personalities were quite unique. Odile was more adventurous and daring than her sister, and she ran about much more. Odette was typically the calmer one, though she had a vicious temper if provoked. However she was more patient with events. That was why it was only now, when they were preparing to leave soon, that Odette was trying earnestly to get her point across.

Odette now unstuck her cheek from the bedpost and looking up at her mother. There was a red mark on her face that matched the rose carving on the bedpost exactly. "Mama, really? I don't have to go?"

"No, my dear. That is, if Odile will promise, very sincerely, that she will not tell anyone her name. If anyone asks, she is to present herself as Odette. You must not even let your father know!" She grasped the dancing child's hand and pulled her down gently onto the bed. "This is important, child!" she said softly but firmly. "No one must know that you are not your sister. If we keep that little secret just between ourselves, Odile will get to go on an adventure and Odette will get to stay her with her Mama. Are we clear, young ones?" Queen Annika asked her daughter.

Odette squealed and fell into her mother's arms. "Oh, thank you, Mama!" then she turned and tackled her sister into the pillows. "Thank you, Odile! I hope you have fun with that awful Prince Derek!" she and her sister giggled as Odile tried to free herself from the sandwich of the down pillow and Odette.

Queen Annika laughed and shook her head. "Now, Odette, why would you call Prince Derek awful? You have never met him. It is not comely for a princess to judge someone before they are formerly introduced."

Odette got off of her sister and sat on the bed cross-legged, folding her arms across her chest and crinkling her face in an adorable pout. "I do not care, for Prince Derek or the fact that we have not met. I believe he will be just terrible, but Odile can handle him! I am quite sure I cannot, nor would I bear it."

Odile laughed and planted a kiss on Odette's cheek. "Whether he is quite so awful or not, I will take care of him for Odette. He need never know that it is not she!"

Queen Annika smiled and embraced her two daughters. She was pleased that this had gone so well. Her motivations were selfish, she was aware of this. The queen was quite young, much younger than her husband. Theirs had been an arranged marriage as well, and though Queen Annika loved her husband – not exactly romantically, but she did love him - she had always wished that she had been given an option in the topic. Now, the same thing was happening to her eldest daughter, and Odette was proving to be just as reluctant as her mother had been.

She knew that she could be hanged for such deception against Queen Uberta as well as King William, but she could not bear to see her eldest daughter and, admittedly, her favorite of the twins, passed off the in same manner she had been. William did not spend a lot of time with his daughters, and if Odile kept quiet about their pact, he would never know the difference. There was also the issue of Queen Uberta. Whether or not Prince Derek was as awful as her daughters seemed to assume he was, Queen Annika knew for a fact that Queen Uberta would be quite the trying mother-in-law. Annika had never cared for her, finding her to be ostentatious, over-flamboyant in nature, and rather selfish when it came to dealing with foreign policy.

Therefore, the queen, whose mind was still youthful and clever, had come up with this plot. Fortunately Odile was not difficult to convince into a new adventure, or new mischief for that matter. And Odette was more than willing to spend the summer at home with her mother.

She set about immediately disentangling Odette from her dress and putting the same dress on Odile. She took extra care to make her look perfect, styling her hair in the same way as Odette's and even adding the lightest touch of rouge to mimic Odette's natural flush. Odette was similarly garbed in her sister's old clothing. The last thing the queen did was remove the gold locket from around her eldest's neck and fasten it around Odile. Forgetting the locket could ruin everything, as it was a gift from Queen Uberta and Prince Derek. Sending Odile without it would not only offend the royals but risk discovery of the switch.

When the ladies' maids were summoned back in to lead Odile – now Odette – to her father, they were not aware that they were taking the wrong princess. It was a blessing that the two girls often spent a lot of time playing and mimicking one another's mannerisms. Odile, who usually walked with a bit of a slouch and with a wider gait, walked hand in hand with her maid, straight-backed and formal like her sister.

The girls had gotten so into the act that Odile had even fabricated a couple tears to make it seem as though she'd been the one throwing a fit just a few minutes before. Odette threw in a "Goodbye, Odette, I will miss you!" for good measure. Queen Annika just looked on in pleasure, praying that their ruse would never be discovered by the wrong people.

* * *


	2. Second Guessing

**Here's Chapter Two! And I'd just like to remind readers that this is based on the "Swan Princess" movie, and not the original ballet. To see another take of mine on the Swan Lake story, please read my "The Demavia: The Intricate Truth of Swan Lake," story, which I've published in the Fairy Tales section. :) For now, enjoy chapter two! Just a warning, it does change perspectives a bit, but nothing too drastic.**

Well, this was going very well. And Odile was enjoying herself so much! She'd always wanted to go sailing, but being the second-born of her father's children, the chances of her ever going abroad were slim to none. But now here she was, and she loved the salty air and the warm breeze. Everyone on board was very nice to her, although her father spent an awful lot of time in the cabin. This actually worked to her advantage, because not many of the men on the ship knew either of the princesses well at all, giving Odile flexibility to behave like herself, and not Odette.

The men on the ship found the little blonde princess endearing. They spent a good portion of the time that they were not on duty chasing her about the ship and making sure that she did not fall from the heights to which she had a tendency to climb. Even though they would scold the princess, Odile knew full well that they only did this so that they could claim that they had said something. They could not be punished by the king for letting his daughter run about if they could truthfully say that they had told her not to do so. Odile knew the conviction in these numerous reprimands was very slim and that the ship hands actually enjoyed her shenanigans. She was more than happy to indulge them.

It was a long trip for Odile, despite the fact that the sea separating her father's kingdom from Queen Uberta's was rather small. She had fun while on the ship, but after a while she discovered that places to crawl, climb, and explore on the ship were running out. The ship men did their best to entertain her, but the young princess grew restless. Up to that point she had not actually thought about Prince Derek that much, having simply enjoyed her adventure as it came. But when she began to run out of things to do, her thoughts were drawn to the future more often. Uncharacteristically she found herself becoming nervous. What if Prince Derek was as bad as Odette was convinced he was? What if Queen Uberta didn't like her? Would they let her run around or would she be confined to 'royal behavior' all summer? Suddenly Odile was second-guessing her choice to secretly replace Odette.

When the trip was nearly over, King William emerged from his cabin more and more often, and Odile was able to get away with less and less of her antics. She had to behave well around her father, not only to please him but to ensure that he was convinced she was Odette. She began to feel confined, and anxiousness for the coming meeting started to take its toll. A melancholy similar to her older sister's former attitude was hanging over Odile by the time they reached the opposite shore. The sun was shining, but Odile's eyes were downcast as she left the ship. The excitement of arriving in an entirely new place was enveloped by her nervousness. Her father held her shoulder, and that comforted her a bit. She loved her father, as aloof as he was sometimes, and for the first time she found herself wishing that he knew it was she and not Odette. But she reminded herself of the sincere promise she'd made her mother, and that hardened her resolve.

There was a bit of a carriage ride between the coast and the capital city, where they would meet with Queen Uberta. They spent a night at an inn, and the next morning they continued as they had the day before. After a brief rest in the city a couple leagues away from the castle, they forewent the carriage at King William's command. Odile rode on her father's horse with him. It was that last leg of the journey that the weight of the deception was heaviest on Odile. But when the palace began to loom over them, Odile could think of little else but the impending introduction.

She heard trumpets sound as they were spotted coming down the forest path. She swallowed reflexively and felt as if cold sweat was breaking out on her forehead as they passed through the gate. She'd rather been hoping that there would be a moment for her to calm down before she met the queen and her son, but it was not to be. Queen Uberta and Prince Derek were waiting, right there, on the path before them.

Her father dismounted first and then very gently lifted her and placed her on the path. Her father gave her a small push in the direction of Prince Derek. While Queen Uberta and King William exchanged pleasantries, Odile and Derek sized each other up. He was an icky boy! Odile took some pleasure in the fact that he looked just as uncomfortable as she was.

"Go on, Derek," Queen Uberta encouraged. "Dear, go on." She pushed him forward a bit.

"Mother!" he protested. Odile frowned.

"Derek!" his mother scolded. He came toward her reluctantly.

"Hello, Princess Odette," he grumbled. "I'm very pleased to meet you." Well, he was going to be rude, wasn't he? Odile could play the same trick.

"I'm pleased to meet _you_, Prince Derek," Odile said in a sickly sweet voice, bowing so low her nose almost touched her knees. She kept her eyes on Derek the whole time, and caught him rolling his eyes. He quickly retreated. She rose, smilingly deceivingly at the queen, who immediately sent the prince back to her. This angel game was far too fun to play. Derek took her hand, and Odile watched him suspiciously as he slowly raised it to his lips. He kissed it quickly and then dropped it, a disgusted look on his face.

Oh! That was very mean of him! When Queen Uberta and her father seemed distracted again, Odile wiped her hand on her dress and shook her fist at the prince. _He looks conceited!_ She thought, disgusted. _If I get lucky, I'll get chicken pox._

"So happy you could come," Prince Derek said, bowing again. The sincerity was lacking to say the least.

"So happy to be here," Odile bowed. Would she really be able to stand this all summer? _How I'd like to run…this is not my idea of fun._

* * *

"The children seem to get along quite nicely," said Queen Uberta as she showed King William about her palace. She was flaunting her wealth, admittedly, but would King William really have done differently in her position? She thought not.

"We'll join our lands if this arrangement clicks," King William agreed. He would never dare say it out loud, but this union meant more to him than it likely meant to Uberta. After all, _she_ had not been threatened recently by an evil enchanter. Though the King put on a show of having forgotten the threat of Rothbart, the wizard always held a place of worry in the back of his mind. He hoped that joining his kingdom with Uberta's through Odette would make it more difficult for similar threats in the future.

"My dear King William, that's my boy, precisely!" Queen Uberta exclaimed. Both sovereigns were completely unaware of the physical quarrel their children were having behind their backs. Odile was proving to be quite the match for Derek in many areas, but King William never thought to look for signs of this. He, of course, assumed that he had Odette with him, and she would never behave in such a way. So there was no use in even suspecting such battles between the prince and princess, not in his opinion.

"It's such good parenting," King William stated. He was happily oblivious, as was Uberta.

"-and politics!" Queen Uberta pointed out. "So happy we agree!" she exclaimed. She of course was thrilled that this would work out. A betrothal now meant much less work for her when Derek was closer to coming of age. Plus, it would give her plenty of time to feel out Princess Odette to make sure she was a lovely compliant girl, like King William assured her. She wanted this arrangement to work out, as the kingdom had not been doing well since the death of her husband. This betrothal made it seem like the queen was doing something of use. Her advisor's surveys proved that the hype for this meeting had already made her popularity both in the kingdom and outside it rise. King William was known to be a good ruler and his kingdom to be prosperous. Making an agreement with him looked very good to all the other kingdoms in the world.

"I think we've got a deal!" King William affirmed. Uberta's enthusiasm made him feel more secure in this decision. Queen Uberta's kingdom, though not larger than his, would add significant enterprise and land to his kingdom. There were plenty of other kingdoms he could have made arrangements with, but as his daughters had come along much later than planned most of the other princes in lands surrounding his kingdom were already betrothed or uninterested in his daughters.

"Derek's quite a catch!" Uberta said, her nerves showing through just the tiniest bit. She had actually worried that Derek would frighten the visiting royals away, since he'd been reacting rather negatively to his father's death. His attitude was less than admirable, but if she could convince King William otherwise, that wouldn't matter at all.

"This is my idea of a match!" they said at the same time, causing both of them to laugh.

"And such fun!" Uberta added as an afterthought. The two monarchs headed back into the castle as the sun was setting. They were both quite exhausted after a long day of negotiating. Odette and Derek couldn't spend too much time together after all - for fear that they might soon grow bored with each other. This betrothal must continue along smoothly if each of them were to achieve their own clandestine goals.

* * *


	3. Resistance on Both Parts

**Please enjoy chapter three. Time passes quickly in this chapter, as it does in the song, "This is My Idea." Still, I added meat and filling! :D Comments much appreciated!**

This scenario repeated often throughout the years. Queen Annika's plan was proceeding without a catch. Odile, though she'd decided she hated Derek, continued to return in loyalty to her mother. It would be far too late now to send Odette as an alternative, because they were in too deep. They had no need to act as each other during the rest of the year, only during the summer when Odile went to visit Queen Uberta's kingdom.

Still, Odette never failed to show her sister her appreciation. Every summer when Odile returned, her older sister would be waiting with an extravagant gift that she had picked out herself. One year it was a horse. Another, it was a gilded chess set. And Odile's favorite gift by far was a mirror that was two times as tall as she was. The sisters really had quite the extraordinary relationship…as did she and Prince Derek. The two of them never failed to openly express their contempt for one another – at least, when their parents weren't around.

The first problem in the plan did not happen until six years after the first meeting, when the girls' bodies first began to change. Odette suddenly became much taller than her sister, and she'd attained a rose spattering of freckles that her sister lacked. It was no longer easy to confuse the two. It was quite the experience trying to prepare for the journey. The two girls were trying hurriedly to prepare on their own because their mother was ill in bed and could not help them.

"Ink! Ink, that's the answer, Odile!" Odette exclaimed in response to her sister's inquiry. She was busy braiding up her twin's hair to like just like her current style. They had yet to switch clothes, and the freckles problem was still unsolved. It wasn't so much a matter of fooling Queen Uberta and Prince Derek as much as their own father. It was true their father was often busy, but he could still recognize the changes in his daughters. "We'll borrow Mother's sienna ink in the desk over there, and I'll paint on your freckles. It should be enough to last the summer, but take a small vial with you, just in case!"

Suddenly, their father's voice echoed off the bridge below their window. "Good heavens, child, don't dawdle! We can't keep Derek waiting!"

"Yes we can," Odile mumbled, rushing over to the desk. "Odette, distract him, I need more time!"

Odette rushed over to the balcony, thinking fast on her feet, as was a skill of hers. "I haven't packed or washed my hair, and Father, I get seasick!" She leaned against the banister for dramatic effect. Then she popped up and rushed over to her sister, untying her tunic and slipping of her breeches as she went. She threw each article of clothing to her sister and Odile pulled them on.

"Seasick?" Odile questioned, looking at Odette with raised eyebrows. Odile had never been seasick in her life. Odette forced her sister down onto the bench and held the ink while Odile carefully applied the "freckles" just the way Odette's appeared. It was a grievous task but it was done in good time, and Odile and her sister rushed down to meet their father at the gate.

"Goodbye, Odette," Odette said, embracing her sister. "Enjoy your summer. I'll miss you." Odile kissed her sister in return and then hopped upon her horse (which was not actually hers, but Odette's. Luckily the horse was just as fooled as everyone else and gave her no problems). And with that she began the long trip to Queen Uberta's kingdom.

* * *

"They soon will be arriving!" Queen Uberta scolded as her son lounged on his bed. A bow and arrow were in his arms – curse the day she'd allowed his uncle to give him one of those! – and he aimed it at a crudely drawn picture on the wall. Squinting, Uberta recognized her son's chicken scratch that read 'Odette.' She rolled her eyes. "Is that respect you're showing?"

Not looking at his mother, Derek grumbled, "If you make me kiss her hand again, I swear I'm gonna be sick." Uberta scowled and retreated from the room, off to greet King William and Princess Odette with or without her son.

* * *

Upon watching her son and Princess Odette interacting later, Uberta smiled with pleasure. They might not get along very well right now, but Uberta knew that this bickering was simply the start of the two young children falling in love. Or so she convinced herself. Apparently King William had the same impression.

"One day Prince Derek will be her intended," he said eagerly over dinner one evening. He seemed to be quite as convinced of this as Uberta herself was.

"Splendid!" Uberta clapped. True it had been six years and the children were not even yet friends, but there were nearly nine years left before Prince Derek was of age and could marry. He was not much more than two years older than the princess, so it would be acceptable to most to marry her off when Derek was of age, rather than waiting until she was as well. However, if this time passed and the two were still not in love, well… they must be married. King William was said to be no more than fond of his young wife Annika, and Queen Uberta and her husband had not been in love when they married. This was just the way things worked. It would be significantly easier, though, if the children did fall in love before getting married, since both were known to be rather stubborn in certain things, these summer trips included.

* * *

"Hey, fellas, wait up!" Odile shouted after the prince and his best friend, Bromley. The two were trying to run off without her – _again_ – and Odile would not have it. Couldn't they see by now that she could keep up? She wasn't like all the other princesses. None of the other princesses ran around in breeches and a tunic. She could take what they dished out, and then hand it right back to them.

"Quick, put on some speed!" she heard Bromley hiss to Derek. She growled and rolled her eyes, pumping her feet ever harder against the ground. She didn't hear what they were saying as they raced up the ladder to their tree fort, rolling up the ladder after them so Odile couldn't follow. However, she heard what Bromley said as they unrolled a sign out the window. "You think she'd take a hint and learn to read!"

Odile gazed up at them with a dirty look on her face. "This really isn't fair!" she shouted up at them, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We really couldn't care!" was their reply. They cackled inside their little hideout.

"Boys, it's all or none!" she demanded, taking out her frustration on the wooden plank nearby. If only she'd known that was a crucial support to the fort, because as she kicked it, the entire fort and its two occupants came raining down on top of her. Summer that year ended early and unhappily, particularly for the monarchs. Odile, bandaged and casted, gazed over at her father as they exited Uberta's palace on their horses. "This is not my idea of fun!" she said. It was a phrase she'd often repeated over the years, but at this point her father ignored it.

Back at the palace, Uberta was punishing her son and his best friend to no end. So many resources were put to use in bringing Odette here every summer, and her own son was ruining it! Uberta's desperation was slowly leading her to her wit's end. Unfortunately, the fact of the friction between the two children was well known, even among the peasant folk. Whispers seemed to follow Uberta all around her kingdom. "However, anyone could see, there were few points on which they did not disagree," they said. "Summer time was dreaded," they said. What a day it would be when all this hard work would pay off.

* * *


	4. Bittersweet Changes

The next three years were bittersweet for Odette and Odile. They began to catch up to each other in growth and Odette's freckles vanished (she was more than grateful for this. She'd never liked them much anyway). Much less effort need be put into disguising Odile as her sister now. Once again, they looked nearly identical, though there was something about Odette that just made her seem prettier than Odile. This did not escape the younger twin's attention, but for fear of embarrassing herself, she never brought it up.

Suddenly, when the girls were thirteen, it looked as though their scheme might be over. Their mother had been ill for quite some time, and in the middle of winter, she died. Odette and Odile were heartbroken. Her mother's death struck Odile hard. She felt the need to grow up quickly. Her mannerisms, though always typically wilder than Odette's, mellowed out, and her father took notice. Whether he was glad of this change in his youngest daughter was hard to say. He appreciated her switch to more ladylike behavior, and yet he found himself missing the fun-loving Odile he'd known.

The good was sprinkled with salt, however. In place of the active life she'd once led, Odile found she was quite proficient at gambling. No one in the entire castle could beat her at cards, especially not Odette. In fact, Odette detested the game. Well, there was only so much one could ask for, and as much as he would have hoped for Odile to be just like her sister, he knew that was impossible. Odette was already set up with Prince Derek, but who would want to court a gambling princess? Though most of his attentions focused on the betrothal with Prince Derek, King William often found himself thinking about his youngest and what would happen to her once her sister was married off.

Meanwhile, the princesses were questioning whether it was wise to continue in the plan their mother had encouraged in them since they were four. It seemed such a waste to let it all go now, and the thought of finally going to Queen Uberta's kingdom like she should have all along terrified Odette, especially after all the horror stories she'd been told by her sister. They both agreed that they were in too deep to turn back now. So, come summer, Odile, now a calmer but more cunning girl, returned to meet with Prince Derek as she always had done, unbeknownst to her father and everyone else but her sister.

"She tries to talk me into playing dress-up," Prince Derek confided in Bromley one day in mid-July. He was not used to this new Odette. Who was she? The Odette he'd known for so long would never have been so interested in silly games like that. She'd liked the mud more. It confused the prince. It was a change that surprised him, and yet, he found, he liked it. He wasn't about it admit it, though. "She's always flirting with the castle guards!" The Odette he'd known had never been a flirt! Derek though he might be getting vertigo.

Bromley elbowed him. "I think you really sort of like her, fess up!" he teased. Derek shook his head.

"I'd like her better if she'd lose at cards." They were, in fact, on their way up to challenge Odette at that moment. He would win, this time, and then Odette would taste defeat for a change.

An hour and a half later, Derek and 'Odette' were staring each other down. Bromley had gotten out early on, since he had a wretched poker face. Derek had bet a good chunk of gold, but he was finding it impossible to read the princess's face. Finally, the game drew to a close.

"Four sevens and a ten," Derek said proudly, laying down his hand of thirty-one points. Odette smiled that immensely irritating smile.

"I think I've won again," she declared, a smug expression on her face. Derek and Bromley both gaped at her hand of four aces open-mouthed. How was that even possible?

"Every time she's won!" they groaned. Derek slid over his gold to Odette, and she pocketed it, giving her bag a good shake to show off what she had won.

"This is my idea of fun!" the princess said, leaning on her hands and staring at the prince, daring him to try to play her just one more time.

"This isn't my idea of fun!" Bromley and Derek agreed.

"Double or nothing?" Odile challenged, hoping he'd take her up on it. She'd robbed many of her father's advisors at the palace in the double-or-nothing rounds. However, not being cold hearted, she always returned the money to the nobles' homes without them knowing it was her. She didn't want them to think she was a softie, after all. Then they'd never play her again!

"You're on!" Derek exclaimed, pounding his fist on the table. Odile smirked. This was going to be fun. Very fun.

During this whole spectacle, King William had been assuring Prince Derek's mother that his daughter had taken a turn for the better and that a wedding was certain at this point. This, of course, very much excited the queen, and the news caught like wildfire throughout her kingdom. Everyone wanted to be invited. And even if they weren't, they'd get a holiday to rest their plows and axes. People in both kingdoms waited for the day when the two would marry and their lands would be united. Some were even placing bets with each other in the hopes that with some luck the marriage would result in lower taxes!


	5. Rothbart Returns

It was many years before tragedy struck the royal family again, and all the work that had been put into the girls' plot became for nothing. The girls were eighteen years of age, and if they grew any more identical, they might as well become one and the same person. Yet they were, as they had been all their lives, quite different. This would be one thing, however, that the evil enchanter Rothbart would overlook.

He had spent the past eighteen years regenerating his powers in the border lands of William and Uberta's lands. For, although the capitals were separated by the sea, the kingdoms did share a land border on the eastern shore of the ocean. The land was mostly uninhabited, and Rothbart had found himself and his assistant Bridget an abandoned castle there. His plot had hatched over the years and he was now ready to execute it. He transformed into his awful beast and flew to William's kingdom with the intent of capturing one of his daughters. His aim on that clear spring night was Odette, for he was well aware of her engagement to Prince Derek. He knew that if he held her for ransom, King William would have no choice but to give him power.

He would make one crucial mistake that night, though. His source in William's palace had been new and confused, unaware of the easy differences between Princess Odette and her twin. In truth, he only guessed which princess it was that Rothbart was looking for, and he gave the evil enchanter faulty information that led Rothbart to Odile's room in the dark of night.

In all other respects, the abduction was a success. No one heard him land on the balcony outside Princess Odile's room. He then transformed into his human form so that he could open the window with stealth.

Odile was awakened by a warm breeze on her face. She had been certain that she'd closed the window before going to bed. Rather than call a maid servant in, she was conscious enough to get up herself to close the window. When she sat up in bed, however, she saw a tall, dark shadow standing in the moonlight. She gasped. "Who are you?" she demanded, but fear took all volume from her voice.

"Greetings, Princess Odette. I would introduce myself, but I fear that would make you … incompliant." Odile scrambled to get out of her bed and away, but the figure was above her and holding a gloved hand over her mouth to muffle any screams she would have made. Odile felt a sudden, horrible shock go through her body and she lost all feeling. The man – for it must have been a man – slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Inwardly, Odile fought hard, but she could not regain control over any part of her body.

Once outside, the man put her down on the stone balcony. As she watched in horror, the man transformed into a terrifying beast, the likes of which Odile couldn't fathom even in a nightmare. She was lifted in its talons as it took off from the balcony, and she fell into a dead faint as it carried her into the darkness.

* * *

King William stood outside his eldest daughter's quarters, uncertain of what to do. He could hear her wails coming from within, but he'd never been the best at comforting. Besides, he was in as much pain as she. Odile, disappearing in the middle of the night! How could this have happened, and who was responsible? Odette was ripped to shreds over the matter. She hadn't come out from her room in the three days since Odile was discovered missing.

The worst part was that there appeared to be no sign of a struggle. The bedcovers had been thrown back, but the furniture had not been tossed about and the window had even been closed! William doubted that Odile had run away; none of her clothing was missing. She had to have been kidnapped, and possibly by the use of magic. The thought of Rothbart had yet to occur to him. It had been eighteen years; if the sorcerer had not shown his self by now, the chances were high that he was already dead. William had ceased worrying about him years ago.

Odette was reacting worse to this occurrence than she had to her mother's death. Of course, considering the relationship the two girls had shared, this was no surprise. William decided he would just leave Odette be and let her recover on her own time. It had worked when Annika died, and it should work now. William had already sent out soldiers to scour the land for his daughter. But nothing would console the one that remained, and so the king realized he needed to be patient with his daughter.

However, three months passed and Odile was not found, nor did Odette recover entirely from the shock of it. William became anxious, not for his missing daughter, but for the marriage of Odette to Prince Derek. His worries caused him to voice his thoughts in a letter to Queen Uberta. _What if Odette doesn't go for the merger?_

The response came two week later, in the form of only two words: _Urge her!_

Meanwhile, Odette was preparing herself to be sent to marry a man whom she'd never met and whom her sister had hated. She could hide no longer, she realized it. Wherever Odile was (Odette knew her to still be alive, otherwise she'd have felt it) she would tell Odette to be brave, and that maybe she'd exaggerated about Derek a bit. Maybe he wasn't so bad. No matter what she told herself, though, she was struck to the core with fear.

_For as long as I remember we've been told we'd someday wed. Every June until September Odile went and took my place. Now I've got to take care of myself. Oh, Odile, I wish you were here!_

Her father sensed her reluctance, but he made it known that she _would_ marry Derek, whether or not Odile was found. She just wished, for once, that he would understand! The trip stretched on forever in Odette's opinion, and she actually did get seasick. That seemed to really surprise the ship hands. They took a carriage from the shore of Queen Uberta's kingdom to her castle, and to make sure she came along, her father had men literally carry her out of the carriage. _I've got bruises with their fingerprints!_ Odette was ready to cry as she saw Queen Uberta's palace for the first time.

They led her directly into the ballroom to meet Derek. They removed her cloak, and protests that would never reach her lips ran through her head. _She said he's so immature!_

She faced the wall, unwilling to turn around. But eventually she had no choice. What met her eyes astounded her. Could this really be the boy Odile had described to her in minute detail for years and years? Odette doubted it. He was far too handsome. And his face…_I see him smiling and my knees start buckling! I see inside him and my doubts are gone!_ How could Odile have spoken so ill of him all the time? He was…for lack of a better word, astounding.

Meanwhile, Derek was having quite a similar reaction. Could this really be the little blond brat he'd practically grown up with? _She started out as such an ugly duckling! Then somehow, suddenly, became a swan._ Everything about her seemed new. Had he really been blind this whole time?

"So happy to be here," Odette said faintly, curtsying.

"Til now I never knew…" Derek said, trailing off as he approached her. He bowed low.

They both thought the same thing. _It is you I've been dreaming of…_

"This is my idea..."

"This is my idea…"

And the rest of the world faded away as Derek took her hands and began to dance with her. She was caught up in his eyes, the strength of his arms, everything about him…

Somewhere along the line they accumulated an audience, but this fact barely registered in either of their minds as they continued dancing. And in that moment, for the first time in three months, Odette did not think about her missing sister at all. All her thoughts focused on Derek. It wasn't long before the music stopped. Neither of them took their eyes off each other, though, because Derek leaned in and kissed, for once, the right princess, right on the lips. A thrill flew through Odette like nothing she'd ever experienced before. The thing that finally shook them both back into awareness was applause all around them. A pink blush flew to Odette's cheeks. Derek turned from her, announcing, "Arrange the marriage!" The applause grew louder.

Having been swept up in everything, Odette found she had actually forgotten the reason for this meeting. Was she really ready for that? She didn't even know him! Oh, wait… she was supposed to have known him, and he was supposed to know her. Supposedly they'd grown up together, after all. But Odette couldn't just sign herself over liked that, no matter how besotted she was with the prince. "Wait," she said quietly. But it seemed as if the whole world had heard her, because the entire room went silent. Derek turned to her, surprise written all over his face.

"What?" Derek asked. "You're all I ever wanted! You're beautiful!" His enthusiasm was evident, but Odette was still unsure. His compliment flattered her, but if he'd really disliked Odile as much as she had said, this seemed rather abrupt.

"Well, thank you," she said, blushing. "But what else?" Surely her beauty wasn't all he saw?

"What else?" Derek exclaimed, seeming appalled.

"Is beauty all that matters to you?" She's spent her whole life having people see only her beauty in comparison to her sister, but she wouldn't have it here. Nearby she heard her father cough. Turning her head she saw him shaking his at her, but she ignored him for a change. But Queen Uberta seemed to be on her side.

"Derek? What else?" she prodded.

"I – uh – what else is there?" Derek stuttered, seeming helpless. Odette's heart sank. So he was as conceited as Odile had always told her! She'd been hoping desperately for otherwise.

* * *

"We tried, Uberta. No one can say we didn't try," King William said. He spoke as if Odette and Derek were not nearby, but he knew well that they were. He was trying to guilt them into changing their minds. "Say goodbye, Odette." He cast an angry glance, but Odette was trying not to feel guilty. It wasn't her fault, after all.

Odette looked over her shoulder, failing at her attempts to seem unrepentant. "Goodbye," she said.

"Goodbye…" King William prodded.

"Prince Derek," Odette said. Her heart felt like lead. Why couldn't things just work the way they were supposed to? _Odile, where are you? I miss you, I need you…_

Uberta nudged her son roughly. "Mother," he groaned.

"Derek!" she scolded. There was still hope as long as they were both near each other that they could change their minds. Uberta wasn't going to let that slim chance slip away. There had to be _something_ they liked about each other. She was afraid her son had blown it, and what was to be made of that? How could it possibly be resolved? It wasn't like Odette was simply first in a line of other princesses. They'd spent years and years on this arrangement.

Derek sighed. "Goodbye, Princess." Uberta raised her eyebrows. The way he was looking at her… it seemed as though he actually was sorry, but he was doing nothing to fix his problem. That was probably the most disappointing part. She finally snapped.

"All of these years of planning… _wasted_!" she shouted as she walked back into the castle. Every year, every summer, and still nothing had happened. Where had they gone wrong?

* * *

They were near their first stop for the evening. They still had a day of travelling before they reached the port. The sky had become dark and gloomy, not unlike Odette's feelings. The irony of it tasted in her mouth like salt. The worst part was sitting in this carriage beside her father, who still had not said a word. He finally spoke up though, and Odette braced herself for the scolding she knew would come.

But it didn't come. Instead, the king said slowly, "I – I just don't understand! What else did you want him to say?"

Odette thought it odd that he would ask that question. Hadn't he watched her and her sister enough over the course of their lives to know the answer to that? She and Odile had never been much for surface appearances. It had been their pledge to each other, when they were younger, to never let looks get in the way of their smarts. Their mother had only ever encouraged this, but apparently King William had been too busy to notice this simple importance.

How could she explain it to him, then? "I need to know that he loves me … for just being _me_," she said. Despite the easy differences between herself and Odile, they were alike enough that Derek wouldn't suffer not knowing about all of this. If she had been her sister, would he have said the same thing? Surely there was something he could recall from their past that he loved about her? Love wasn't cut-and-cry like the King seemed to believe it was. She didn't want a marriage like her parents'. She wanted something real, and though she realized that this sort of thing was difficult to ask for as a princess, she had hoped Derek would provide that for her.

Just then the carriage came to a stop. It seemed too early for them to be stopping for the evening. King William opened the door to the carriage and peered out, looking questioningly at the driver. The driver pointed ahead to where there was a black shrouded figure in the middle of the path. Something seemed familiar, but King William could not recall why. Odette tried to come out and see, but her father instructed her to stay inside. Odette obeyed, but just then a bright light contrary to the time of day shone even through the velvet curtains. She heard an awful, inhuman scream, and she gasped.

She couldn't see what happened. The carriage began to shake violently and suddenly she couldn't see her father anymore. She screamed as the carriage turned over on its side. A sharp pain lit her shoulder on fire as it rammed against the handle of the door. The men outside were shouting and the awful screaming continued. Odette curled up, wishing it would end, praying that this – all of this – was just a nightmare.

Then a dark shadow fell over her, and she peeked through her arms to see an awful dark, hairy creature above her. She tried to make herself small so the creature could not grab her, but to no avail. A terrible claw reached it and snagged her cloak, pulling her upward. She was pulled out of the overturned carriage while she struggled to free herself. The only result was another claw encircling her whole body, preventing her from moving. She shrieked and struggled, but it seemed no one was left to hear her. She was being lifted higher, far too high. She shut her eyes tight for fear of what it was that held her prisoner. With horror she realized that the creature's grip was growing tighter around her… she couldn't breathe! She tried to inhale but couldn't past the pressure that gripped her. Her vision became blurry and eventually faded into nothingness as the rain pelted down onto her face.


	6. Three Months Earlier

THREE MONTHS EARLIER

"You're quite misbehaved for a daughter of King William," the man chuckled. Odile's hands were bound by chains on the all over her head. As tall as she was, her feet still dangled a couple of inches above the ground. The stone wall was abrasive on her back through the thin nightgown and her shoulders ached, but she still kicked and twisted her body in an effort to free her wrists. The red haired man stood a few yards away, observing her amusedly. Odile growled as she twisted the wrong way and a shot of pain flew up her back. "Now, Odette, we mustn't overexert ourselves, must we?" he scolded.

"For the last time," Odile snarled. "_I am not Odette!"_ She then proceeded to cuss at her captor, using every foul word she'd ever learned from both the palace guards and her defeated poker opponents. The man stepped back, clearly surprised.

"Well then, I don't suppose you are," he coughed. He seemed disturbed, as he should be. "You must be the younger girl. What is it? Ah, yes, Odile. This certainly is an inconvenience…" he continued, talking more to himself than his prisoner now. Odile kept her withering glare on him as he paced back and forth, scratching his scraggly chin.

"You can't keep me here," Odile said. "My father will be sure I am found, and then I will personally get my revenge on you."

"Hush, girl, I'm trying to think!" the man snapped. "Besides, you will not be found because no man can find this place unless they are led here by one of its occupants. Simply gray magic." Odile continued to struggle as the man paced. Finally exhausted, her eyes travelled to the hag in the corner, the one he referred to as Bridget. She sat with her legs splayed out, trying to catch the many ants that crawled on the floor. She didn't appear to understand anything or anyone but the sorcerer. Odile watched as she caught an ant and observed it closely. Without warning, she popped it into her mouth and chewed, cackling as she did. Disgusted, Odile looked away. Her arms were really starting to hurt now.

"Perfect!" the wizard exclaimed. "Bridget!" The hag leapt up instantly at her name. At the same time, the chains binding Odile vanished and she collapsed roughly onto the floor. Excited at her freedom, she began to get up, but something forced her down just as quickly. Her entire abdomen contracted painfully, causing her to cry out. The same sort of pressure continued throughout the rest of her body, and she felt as though she were being crushed. Then, just as suddenly as they'd begun, the contractions ended.

Odile gasped in relief, and then she glared up at the wizard. She started to cuss again, but instead of insults, on odd croaking sound resulted. She clutched her throat. It was then that she saw Bridget, or what had been Bridget. Instead, she saw an exact replica of herself standing beside the wizard. The false-Odile picked at the silk nightgown while turning about to see herself. With a sinking feeling, Odile looked at her hands only to see that they were riddled with age spots. Her face felt leathery and baggy. Her hair, once long and golden, was short, straw-like, and probably gray. She screamed in horror, and though the scream did not sound like her own, it conveyed her dread. The wizard – Rothbart, though how would she know that? – laughed at Odile's panic. Bridget tapped him on the shoulder, a pouty look on her face (or rather Odile's face). Rothbart sighed.

"No, you can't hear the little creatures anymore," he said to her. "But that is easily remedied." He touched her cheek, and suddenly Odile was not looking at herself any longer but a scruffy tabby cat. Rothbart chuckled then looked at Odile. "She's happier that way," as if Odile cared about the hag's happiness. "You, however, will probably be quite miserable in that body. Bridget does not understand human languages well unless I allow her to. She thinks and usually speaks in animal languages. As long as you are in her body you will be limited to the same. While you may think in English, you will not recognize it when you hear it, read it when you see it, or use it to make yourself understood. That is, unless I allow you to, of course. So I do hope you don't mind animals." Rothbart began to laugh evilly as he turned and left Odile sitting on the cold floor. The tabby, which had been licking itself, popped up and followed him out. Odile hunched over and sobbed into her gnarled hands, mourning the loss of everything she'd ever known.

* * *

The next three months were spent in misery on Odile's part. Over and over had she tried to escape her captor's manor, but she had never succeeded. It occurred to her that even if she did manage to escape, she would be trapped in the hag's body for who know how long? And according to Rothbart, she couldn't understand anyone besides him and could barely even speak. How would she be able to convince anyone that she was really Princess Odile Jacqueline Trinette, daughter of King William and Queen Annika? She wouldn't be able to when she couldn't even properly pronounce her own name. She doubted even Odette would recognize her, a fact that she mourned day in and day out. It was true that Odile had never cared much for beauty, but the fact was that she _had_ been beautiful. It's easy to take for granted what you've always had. Now, she was wrinkly, dry, and plump, and she missed the body that Rothbart had stolen from her. Still, the worst part of being in Bridget's body was the inability to express her thoughts in plain English. She had to admit, it was the best way to keep her from escaping.

The lack of English did not, however, mean that her world was now silent. Just like Bridget had, Odile could hear and for the most part understand all the animals on Rothbart's land. From the birds to the bugs, she could hear whispers. When she wanted to, she could follow entire conversations by listening to the chirping of crickets at night. It was a fascinating ability, but one that Odile would very quickly give up if she could only have her old life back.

Odile didn't see much of Rothbart. Because she was in Bridget's body, she was required to take up Bridget's work, keeping the dismal castle clean to Rothbart's requirements. Odile didn't resent chores, but her new body wasn't quite as tolerant of heavy workloads. Chores that would have taken her little time back home took her twice as long to accomplish now. Bridget wasn't exactly limber. It was during these chores that Odile would contemplate and sometimes execute her escape attempts. Once, while emptying waste a little ways downstream from the lake, Odile tried to swim her way back to either her kingdom or Uberta's. But that was the day that she first became acquainted with Rothbart's two favorite creatures; his crocodiles. She hadn't gotten far before they tracked her down and frightened her back upstream to Rothbart's castle. Odile had learned Rothbart's idea of punishment for her that night. He switched Bridget and Odile's bodies again, but he did not change Odile's original body out of cat form before doing so. Odile, for the first time, knew what it was like to be in a cat's body. Once the switch was complete, the sorcerer would lock her in a little cage for the night and then however long he fancied after that. After this experience it was a while before Odile tried to escape again.

Sometimes while she did her chores, Odile tried to force herself to form English words. She found that there were some words that Bridget had already known, but they were few and quite useless. Usually by the end of the day, Odile could manage to say one familiar word without stumbling over her tongue so much. It was a frustrating process, but if she could teach herself to speak, then maybe she would have a chance of an actual escape. There were only two other times that Odile tried to flee, and both were unsuccessful. After the third attempt, Odile was left a cat for nearly a week. She had fleas for days afterwards. Rothbart scolded her and Odile often expected worse, crueler punishments, but they never came. Rothbart was barely seen. He was always locked away in his room, and when Odile did see him he was always deep in thought.

Then, one day came where Rothbart approached her directly. It was about three months or so after Odile had first come to the castle. Without any explanation, he transformed her into a cat once again. She had not made any attempts at escape and had done her chores thoroughly, so the reason for her atrocious transformation was incomprehensible to her. She screamed at him through her cat's mouth and even tried to claw him as he locked her away, but he hardly reacted. It was days before she saw Rothbart again. She was starving, as she'd finished through her disgusting food supply that Rothbart had left her. When he returned with the original Bridget, he seemed to be in good spirits. He let her out and transformed her into Bridget's body again. Then, Odile heard the first English she'd heard in months.

"Everything is going according to plan," he said almost giddily. "I admit, I thought I had made a mistake in bringing you here, Princess, but you have proved to be quite the help. And all the cards have fallen into place." He patted Odile on the cheek, and she lashed out to bite him with her few teeth. Rothbart snarled and smacked her across the face, sending her reeling onto the floor.

"You had better mind yourself, Princess! Or you will lose much more than your voice!"

Odile glared at him, rubbing her stinging face with her palm. "What more?" she managed to spit out in her crackling hag's voice. The sentence she'd been aiming for had been, _"What more can you take from me?"_ but she hadn't taught herself to speak full sentences yet.

Rothbart cackled, a sound that sent shivers up Odile's spine. "Why, your father is dead, Princess! That's certainly more, isn't it?"

Odile's heart dropped to her stomach and she experienced a strange whooshing in her ears. Her father, dead? Tears welled in the corners of her eyes. "Monster!" she screamed. She wanted to rush at him, to beat him, to kill him, but she was too weak. Her emotions got the best of her, and she fell into convulsing wails, curling into a ball on the floor. Why her father? He had never loved her the way he should have, but she had loved him. They weren't close, but she had still loved him. And now he was gone and she'd never be able to tell him everything about her deceit for all those years or how sorry she was. Rothbart chuckled evilly and left her there crying. He had one princess in tears here in this room, and another down at the lake, doomed to be a swan until she married him. Things were working out much better than planned.


	7. As Time Goes By

**Thank you to all of my readers, who have been keeping up with my story! I'm really excited and I'm sure you'll be happy with what I have planned for the rest of the story. However, I want to point out that yes, I do cut out details and dialogue here and there, because my goal here isn't to rewrite every word in the movie. I couldn't figure out how to write "Far Longer Than Forever," into a scene, so I've left it out for the most part. I'm going to upload two chapters today because this one is so short. Enjoy all, and I hope I'm not disappointing too many by leaving that out.**

It had been two months since King William had died and Odette had disappeared. Derek and his mother had been a major part in organizing the funeral for the deceased king. Derek's attentions were also focused on finding Odette. He ordered search parties all across his kingdom and even helped the ruling council in Odette's kingdom search there. The council was very difficult to work with, because they all had their own opinions on how things ought to be done. The kingdom was in a hard place; they'd first lost their youngest princess, and then their king and only remaining heir. Some cousin of King William was head of the council for now and was acting was regent until at least one of the princesses was found. No party had uncovered Princess Odile, and they weren't having much more luck with Odette. Derek advised that they search in less mundane places, but Odette's people seemed very superstitious and there were certain areas of the kingdom that they could not be convinced to go. This frustrated Derek, and he became aware that the only way he could save Odette was to do it himself.

He thrust himself into research. He hired his kingdom's finest mercenaries. Whenever he caught wind of a creature that might be considered 'great' he sent his team to try and find Odette. No attempt ever succeeded. King William's words nagged at him: 'It's not what it seems.' What did that mean? He had no idea. When his resources were diminished, Derek put even more practice into his own hunting skills. He had always loved archery, and he was a fairly good shot. But he knew that being a good shot wasn't enough if he was going to save Odette. Bromley helped him practice, and so did Rodgers. They organized games to help Derek refine his techniques. Neither thought that these routines would pay off; they, like the rest of the kingdom, believed Odette to be dead and unable to be saved. Derek refused to believe this, and he told Rodgers this every time his mentor tried to persuade him to give up. Practice, practice, practice. Day after day, all the prince ever did was practice, practice, practice.

He spent hours and hours in the library, thinking of Odette and what King William could possibly have meant. He tore through book after book, never finding anything. But one day, at last, he found something that fit. A creature that transformed! It seemed to answer everything! A great animal that could conceal itself in a small form that no one would suspect. It would be the perfect disguise! Derek made to leave immediately but encountered his mother along the way. Queen Uberta had given up on Odette far sooner than Derek had, and had since been inviting young women to the castle left and right in search of a replacement. Derek had tried to and had mostly succeeded in avoiding these meetings, but now, apparently, she was holding a ball. She begged him to return in time, and Derek made a halfhearted promise to try. In truth, he wasn't sure how long it would take him to find Odette. He was sure his mother would forgive him if he happened to miss just one ball.

* * *

At Swan Lake, Odette was secretly still trying to cope with everything that had happened to her. Her father was dead, and she was condemned to swan form every day no matter where she was. It was a lot to handle, and Odette would often mourn during the day when she was a swan and had little else to occupy her. The sorcerer's scheme was horrifying. Odette would never marry him, not so he would inherit her father's kingdom! That place belonged to Derek. Derek! Odette could barely stop thinking about him. Whenever she was miserable, she would think of him and suddenly she would feel better. She wasn't sure why she loved him so much. She'd only met him once, after all. Hearing her sister's in depth and detailed stories of the prince at the end of every summer made Odette feel like she knew him too. She'd never told Odile this, but all the qualities that her sister loathed about the prince seemed attractive to Odette. She and Odile were quite different, after all. Odette often wondered what had become of Odile. This saddened her as well, but she knew that wherever Odile was, she was taking care of herself.

Odette's moods were very unpredictable. She would go from sad thinking about her father, to hopeful at the thought of Derek, and back to miserable when she thought of Odile without warning. She became overjoyed when she was able to befriend Jean-Bob and Speed, the two animals at Swan Lake who seemed to dislike Rothbart as much as she did. Jean-Bob was amazingly funny, believing that he was a prince transformed into a frog. It cheered her up, but Odette couldn't help but think that Jean-Bob's delusion wasn't a delusion at all. She was a princess transformed into a swan by day, after all! The only catch was that Jean-Bob kept insisting that they share a kiss in order to change him back into a prince. Odette had little trouble denying him, but it was incessant and became tiring after a while. She kept trying to explain to him her love for Derek and her need to keep that kiss for him. She knew he was coming for her, and if only she could, she would run to him as well. Odette was graceful about the situation, however, and continued to keep his company. One day, a couple of months after Odette's arrival at Swan Lake, a new creature joined them; Puffin, a bold bird who'd arrived with an arrow in his wing. Odette enjoyed him and he helped her become more confident, encouraging her as Jean-Bob and Speed did whenever she was melancholy.

One day, Puffin came up with a brilliant idea. Odette had been so distraught that she hadn't yet figured out a way to escape, but when Puffin proposed it, it seemed incredibly obvious. All she needed was a map! Then, she could find her way to Derek and bring him here at night, when she could transform and explain everything to him! It seemed so easy! All they needed was the map, and that would be the hardest part. She and her friends formulated a plan. Odette could hardly bear her excitement. Maybe she would finally escape from this horrid place and the sorcerer that held her captive.


	8. To Fear or Not To Fear

**All right, here's the second chapter for the day, much longer than the last one. The first half of this chapter is very interesting, and the second half, admittedly, is a bit of a rewrite of Derek and Odette's reunion from the movie with a little extra detail thrown in. Keep reading, because things start to get _very_ interesting in the next chapter!**

Odile's life drudged on as usual. She was still trapped in Bridget's body, and she was changed into a cat for each of her transgressions. These were becoming fewer and farther in between, however. Odile was finding little point in trying to escape anymore. She still got pleasure from some little acts of rebellion that she performed on occasion. Sometimes she was punished, and sometimes Rothbart was too busy to notice. There were certain rules, however, that she dared not disobey. She was punished most severely for disobeying these. One such rule was never to allow animals into the castle. The little insects and such she could do nothing about, but the mammals and bird were to be kept out. She wasn't sure why this was so important to Rothbart; all she knew was that she was turned into a cat and left without food for a very long period of time for disobeying this rule. She found out because she'd accidentally allowed a rabbit inside once. Rothbart had been not at all happy, and she had been punished severely. The other rule was that she was never to go out after the moon came up. Rothbart was so insistent on this that he was certain to lock Odile in her room every single night. Odile feared what would become of her if she disobeyed, so she put up little resistance.

One day, Rothbart was away from the castle doing who-knew-what, and Odile was left in charge of the castle. The first trouble she noticed came when she was cleaning an upstairs room. She opened the window and smacked into the new puffin that had arrived a short time ago. Evidently he was trying to get in. Odile decided to check all of the windows to make sure he couldn't. While she was on her way down the stairs, though, the swan that had been hanging around the lake lately pecked at the window, as if to indicate that she was trying to get as well. What was it with all of these birds? Odile ran back in the other direction to make sure the swan didn't get inside.

She'd just finished closing all the windows upstairs when she heard the distant creaking of a door on a lower level. She was certain that it wasn't Rothbart, because he'd said that he would not be home until sunset. She crept down the stairs. She knew it couldn't possibly be anyone coming to rescue her; no one could find the castle without being led there. It had to be the animals. She knew this for sure when she heard voices below. She couldn't understand English, after all, so it had to be the animals.

"I think I pulled a muscle," said one low voice. It must have been the turtle speaking.

Then, a louder voice with a distinctive French accent exclaimed, "I'm gonna die! I knew it! I'm on a dangerous mission with a lame turtle! You're gonna get us all killed!" Then there was a loud clatter as a suit of armor fell over, giving them away for certain. Odile was about to creep around the corner when the swan surprised her by pecking on the window behind her. She turned and followed the swan as it persisted in trying to find a window to enter through. Odile _could not_ let that infernal bird inside or Rothbart would punish her! She hurried up the stairs and found the whole group of animals in one of Rothbart's lesser work rooms. They had pulled something off the wall, one of his papers. Whatever it was, Odile knew she wouldn't be able to read it, but it had to be important. She couldn't let them escape with the paper! They were about to pass it to the swan through the window when she slammed it shut, stopping them. "Aha!" she laughed triumphantly.

"Head for the door!" the puffin exclaimed. Odile chased him, hoping to encourage him out but wanting to get the parchment away from him at the same time. However, the animals were organized. They huddled and muttered things Odile couldn't hear. Odile continued chasing them about the castle, trying in vain to get the parchment back from the animals. Her neck was at stake here! There was continuous back-and-forth. There were times when Odile was sure that she had it, but then it was snatched away by one of the animals. She growled in frustration. They gathered on the turtle's shell and slid down the spiral staircase. This was a trick that she'd practiced many times growing up, and while it was a bit different doing it in Bridget's body, Odile was able to keep up. As they both reached the bottom of the staircase, the animals were flung out the window. Odile stumbled on dismounting and ran into the wall, and she gazed longingly out the window as the animals got away with whatever it was they had stolen. "No…" she murmured. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, but only a few. She would just have to face Rothbart's wrath later.

* * *

"There's Derek's kingdom!" Odette exclaimed. She pointed at a place on the map with her wing. She could kind of orient herself now with where she was. It looked as though she was right on the border of her own kingdom and Derek's! She had never been anywhere near this part of the kingdom before. It was considered no-man's-land; now she knew why.

She and Puffin took off later for Derek's kingdom. They'd organized their plan thoroughly and were soon flying over the borderland forest between her father's kingdom and Queen Uberta's. She was constantly on the lookout for landmarks that she could possibly recognize. It wasn't long before she heard a familiar voice shouting. "Derek!" She gasped. It couldn't be! She was near Derek, already? She started going down toward the trees and Puffin tried to stop her, but she averted him and dove down toward the trees. She couldn't believe he was here!

The following minutes did not go at all how she'd planned. Derek saw her, but instead of following the way she wanted him to, he tried shooting her! Why? Why was he doing this? Even if he didn't know it was her, why would he shoot a swan? She and Puffin flew all about, trying to avoid him yet trying to lead him back to the castle at the same time. They were finally able to make it back, and she landed near Speed and Jean-Bob. She shuddered, afraid to go down to meet Derek. Her friends told her that she'd gotten this far. But what if he shot her? What good would it do? She couldn't know. So she gently glided down into the lake, right into Derek's firing range. Her heart ached. If he killed her, that would be the end. There was no way for him to ever know it was her. She would die a swan.

She waited for the moon to change her into her human form, but it didn't happen. She looked down and gasped when she saw that the moon's reflection was covered by clouds. She looked up and saw Derek's bow aimed at her, and she braced herself for the shot. Finally, she felt the magic begin to work along her body. Her neck shortened and her body lengthened; her feathers were replaced with hair and skin. The water around her fell and she stood in front of Derek for the first time in two months. She held her breath, wondering if it would be enough. "Hello, Derek," she said nervously, waiting for his response. Her nerves were unnecessary, however, because the look that spread across Derek's face told her that he was just as overjoyed to see her as she was him. Her heart leapt as he ran towards her, spraying water everywhere. Oh, his arms were around her at last! He lifted her and spun her around, spraying even more water. He held her close and kissed her, and she kissed him back.

"Oh, Derek! I've missed you so!" she sighed, looking into his wonderful blue eyes.

"No one believed me!" Derek said, awestruck. "But I knew –"

"You can't stay!" Odette told him urgently. She knew Rothbart would be here soon, even though she'd tried to time it so that she could have a few minutes with Derek without the sorcerer knowing.

"Can't stay? No, I'll never let you out of my sight again!" Derek exclaimed, pulling her closer into his arms. She wanted to just stay there like that, but she couldn't let anything happen to Derek, too.

"Listen to me, Derek!" Odette said. Then, a distant voice called her name. It was the voice of Rothbart, coming once again to try and persuade her to marry him. "Oh, no!" she cried. He was early!

"Who is it? What's going on?" Derek demanded, holding her hands and looking around.

"It's him!" she moaned.

"Who?" Derek asked again.

"He has me under a spell!" Odette explained in a rush.

"Who does?" Derek pushed. He moved in front of her defensively. Her heart raced at the thought of him trying to protect her against Rothbart. "Let him come! I'll – "

"No!" Odette insisted. "He has great power. You must go!" She tried to push him toward the shore.

"You're coming with me!" Derek said, not letting go of her.

"I can't! When the moon sets I'll turn back into a swan! Please, Derek, you have to trust me. Go!" she pleaded, managing to get him back onto the shore.

"There must be some way to break the spell," Derek said.

"Oh, there is!" Odette assured him. "You must make a vow of everlasting love." Would he?

"I make it!" Derek exclaimed. "It's all I've ever wanted!" Odette's heart fluttered. He was all she wanted, too! If only he didn't have to leave!

"And prove it to the world," she added. It was the only way to break the spell, this she knew. But how could he do that? How?

"How?" Derek asked, echoing her thoughts.

"I don't know!" Odette wailed. There had to be some way.

"Odette!" called Rothbart once more.

"Go!" she said to Derek. Derek obeyed this time and began to leave, but he turned back once more.

"The ball!" he said. "Tomorrow night. Come to the castle. Before the whole world, I'll make a vow of everlasting love!" Odette was close to tears with joy. This all might be over soon!

"ODETTE!"

"I'm coming!" Odette called back anxiously. "Go!" she said to Derek.

"Tomorrow night," he said in parting.

"Yes, tomorrow night," Odette sighed. Derek threw something at her, and she caught it. It was cold. She looked down and saw the golden locket he had given her when she was just a baby. She hadn't seen it in so long. She held it close to her heart.

The princess jumped as Rothbart called her name for a final time. "Didn't you hear me calling?" the sorcerer demanded.

"I … I …" Odette stuttered. The joy in her heart sputtered out to fear as she once again came face to face with Rothbart. He was truly terrifying, as much as Odette tried to defy him. She could never forget how capable he was of hurting her further.

"I thought I heard voices," Rothbart said, pushing back the shrubs to look for the source of the noise he'd heard.

"Voices?" Odette asked, feigning innocence. Here, she wished she were more like Odile. Odile could lie fluently, without even a trace of guilt. Odette wasn't like that; she had no idea how she'd been able to keep her half of their secret for so long. Odette knew that she wasn't being very convincing in telling Rothbart that she was alone. She tried to draw upon the strength of her missing sister, and she knew that she had to distract the wizard with something. As he approached her, she began to curtsy. "I … I have decided to become your queen," she said. That should do it. It was all he was hoping for, anyway. Besides, no matter what she said now, it wouldn't matter after tomorrow night. She would be with Derek, and she would no longer be under Rothbart's control.

The distraction seemed to work. Rothbart began dancing about, blabbering about how he would be a good king and how happy Odette was making him. Odette began to relax. Maybe he would forget about what he thought he'd heard. But she was wrong. She was very, very wrong. After he stopped dancing, he looked at her and pulled out the bow Derek had dropped earlier. "Oh, by the way … you wouldn't happen to know who this belongs to, would you?"

Odette gasped. She was found out! What would he do to her since he knew that she'd gone behind his back?

"Come to the ball," Rothbart mocked, laughing. "And I will make a vow of everlasting love. Thought you could fool Rothbart, did you?" He threw Derek's bow into the depths of Swan Lake.

Terror gripped Odette's body, but she tried to remain defiant. He couldn't stop her from going to the ball! She would be human! "I will _never_ be yours, you creature!" she snarled, sneering at him. "I will marry Prince Derek, and you cannot stop me!" She stepped back when Rothbart advanced on her, clearly furious.

"I hate to tell you this, Odette!" he shouted, grabbing her hand. She tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong. "But you won't be able to attend the big ball tomorrow night." He unfolded her hand, taking the locket from her. She longed to grab it from him, but feared further punishment.

"If you want to stop me, you'll have to kill me," Odette insisted, folding her arms stubbornly as Rothbart began to walk away.

"Oh, no, I don't think so," Rothbart said confidently. "You see, you've forgotten one very important thing tomorrow night. There is … no … moon!" He pointed to the sky, where the last waning sliver of the moon hovered in the sky. He was right. There would be no moon tomorrow night. Odette gasped, feeling pain in her heart as it was ripped in two. This couldn't be! Her heartbreak was so overwhelming that she dropped to her knees, sobbing. Rothbart walked away, cackling monstrously. Odette stayed there sobbing for the rest of the night until she transformed back into a swan right there on that very spot.


	9. Royal Doppelganger

**Again, thanks everybody for reading. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I've been looking forward to writing this one! :)**

Rothbart dragged Odile downstairs to the decrepit ballroom and threw her onto the floor. Odile protested, but Rothbart was too fast for her. She was preparing herself to be transformed into a cat for allowing the animals to steal that parchment, but the change never came. Not that change, at least. She definitely felt the magic hit her, burning her bones, as her body transformed into something. When the magic ended, she looked up and saw Bridget standing in front of her. She looked down at her hands and gasped. They were her own! She felt her body. She was Odile again! She stood up and looked down, marveling at the feeling of being in her own body again. She was about ready to laugh with joy. But she knew that there had to be some sort of catch. Rothbart never played fair.

"Do you like your old body, Princess?" Rothbart asked. Odile didn't respond as she waited for the clause. "It probably seems familiar. I wonder, is this familiar as well?" He tossed something at her, and she caught it with grace. She didn't drop it or stumble; she wasn't clumsy anymore! She looked at the object and nearly passed out. It was Odette's locket! Odile hadn't seen this in nearly six months! Even though she borrowed it in the summers when she went to take Odette's place, she hadn't had it in her possession when Rothbart had kidnapped her.

"Where did you get this?" Odile demanded loudly, glaring at him. Ah, her voice! It felt so good to be able to speak again! But her joy was tempered by her shock and anger at Rothbart.

Rothbart smirked. "Why, your sister, of course!" he informed her smugly.

"_My sister?_" Odile gasped. "What?"

Rothbart beckoned her over to the large window that was usually covered by a curtain. It had a perfect view of the shores of Swan Lake. Odile kept her eyes on Rothbart's face for a moment before turning to look out the window. When she looked, she felt as though she had been stabbed in the heart. It was Odette, crying on the shore! "Odette! What have you done to her?" Odile demanded viciously. She turned and stared venomously at Rothbart, who only seemed amused.

"Just a simple spell, one not so different from you own. By day, she is a swan; by night, she is a princess," Rothbart explained.

_Odette was the swan?_ Odile nearly crumpled. She had been living with her sister so close by for months and she hadn't even known it? She pressed herself against the glass, staring down at the fetal form of her twin. "Let her go!" she screamed, seizing the front of Rothbart's clothing. Rothbart plucked her hands off and patted her shoulder.

"Odile, I have every intention of doing so," Rothbart said. "However, it will require a little payment on your part."

Odile drew back. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"You see, Prince Derek stopped by earlier this evening, and he invited your sister to a ball. He wants to make a vow of everlasting love to her, but of course, your sister doesn't want that. She told me so herself; that's why she's crying. If you go and take her place, then I will set her free and you will earn your body back."

Derek had been here? How? Odile frowned. "And why do you care what Odette wants? You've turned her into a swan!"

"Only temporarily!" Rothbart protested. "And to be frank, I don't care what your sister wants. _My_ grudge is against Prince Derek. If he makes his vow to you, he can't back out of that, and once he realizes his mistake, then we'll be quite even. You are quite unbearable company, Odile, and he won't appreciate the replacement."

Odile bit her lip at the obvious insult, slightly hurt but unwilling to let Rothbart know that he'd gotten to her. She pondered his former statement, though. "Why would you have a grudge against Derek?"

"Enough questions!" Rothbart exclaimed, clearly exasperated. Odile shut her mouth, but she continued thinking. Obviously, Rothbart didn't know that she'd been taking her sister's place with Derek every summer for years. Derek had clearly thought that the Odette he'd invited to the ball was the same Odette he'd known since he was six. Why would he want to make a vow of everlasting love, though? They had never liked each other! He was probably doing it to make his mother happy. Odile could think of no other reason. And if he'd been going to marry her anyway because Odile had taken Odette's place, what would the difference be if she took her sister's place one last time? True, it would sentence her to a lifetime of annoyance, but if it would make Odette happy and set her free from this cruel magician, Odile would do it. But she had to be certain that she was making the right choice, first.

"What happens if I say no?" Odile said, testing Rothbart. She was also enjoying getting on his nerves, but it was also imperative that she ask this question.

Rothbart began turning beet red. "What happens if you say _no_?" Odile knew she had been foolish when he advanced on her and pinned her to the wall by the neck with one of his large, gloved hands. Her breathing was cut off, and she sputtered behind his hand. "I'll tell you what happens, Princess! You and your sister will both die! You think I won't do it? I will do it! You and your sister are worth nothing to me. So unless you want to dig your own grave, you will take Odette's place at the ball tomorrow night!" He released her and she slid to the floor, gasping for breath.

"All right … I'll do it," Odile coughed, trembling. She was truly terrified of Rothbart now. She didn't question his power or his drive. She knew he would kill her and her sister if she didn't do this. What would one more night in Odette's shoes do anyway? Odile had been resigned to marrying Derek for years now. What would the difference be? She crumpled in a small ball and moaned. Tears were welling in the corners of her eyes at the pain throbbing in her neck and the prospects of her future. At least everything would turn out right if she did it. Odette would be free, and she would be allowed to have her old body back. Everything would be right.

"Now, go upstairs to minor chamber and start making yourself pretty for tomorrow night. Goodness knows you'll need it," Rothbart said softly but harshly. "Go!" Odile didn't hesitate. She leapt up and ran off like a frightened deer, much more swiftly than she would have before. Her heart ached and her body ached, but it would all end tomorrow night. It had to.

* * *

Derek was over the moon with joy. He had found her, at last! She was alive! His efforts had not been futile. And tonight, he would break the awful spell that was placed upon her and they would be together. His mother had been shocked but pleased when Derek had come in and insisted that all these changes be made to the food and decoration and music because he would have his bride tonight. The all around mood of Uberta's castle was joyous as Derek's attitude spread infectiously to all who were near. Derek glowed all evening, anticipating the moment when Odette would enter and all would be proven wrong. He would have her as his wife, and they would rule together. He had to make a vow of everlasting love to her tonight; in fact he was rather pleased with himself that he had figured out how to do it before the whole world on his own.

The evening began and guests began filtering into the ballroom. Derek greeted everybody pleasantly, but truly his mind was far away, at that lake where Odette was being held captive. Not for long. She would come, and he would set her free. He only vaguely heard his mother going on about how every single princess on the planet would be here tonight, including Portia, Guinevere, and Janet. She enjoyed boasting. She claimed that they would come by coach or boat to be here, and she was sure that some would even swim the moat to be here! Derek just shook his head at his mother's bragging. He'd asked her not to go to such lengths, but he'd known that there'd be no stopping her. Now that he'd found Odette, though, he really didn't mind. None of it mattered, so why not let his mother have her fun?

He couldn't help but be a bit annoyed when the chamberlain, most probably at his mother's orders, began the pageant. He didn't like such affairs. He subtly rolled his eyes when the princesses of the kingdom of Tchaikovsky filed out. The princesses were virtually all identical. The eldest two were twins named Primrose and Thomasina, and the third was named Tertia. The next three were triplets: Deltina, Quintette, and Sextana. The youngest two were named Septima and Octavia. When dressed alike, and even when they weren't, they all were so similar that no one could tell them apart. They were often known as the Performing Princesses, since they travelled all throughout other kingdoms to perform in song and dance. King William had once mentioned to Derek how alike Odette and her twin sister Odile looked, but he was sure that it was nowhere near as similar as the Tchaikovskian princesses. Derek was getting déjà vu as they danced around him.

Chamberlain soon began to introduce princesses from the neighboring kingdoms. The first, apparently, was Princess Crisanta from Colcester, the agricultural capital of the region. Derek remembered meeting her a couple of time when he was younger, but mostly because he'd enjoyed the company of her elder brother, Prince Elio. Personally he found her a bit dull and too reserved, unlike Odette. Princess Antonia he was also familiar with, but she seemed to have the opposite problem as Cristana. She was a bit too violent for his taste. Then again, everyone from her kingdom seemed to be that way. This was why Derek was glad that their kingdom was so far off. Derek held back a laugh when Griselda came on to the scene. She was several years his senior and still unmarried, likely to remain so as well. She was friendly enough but a bit of a pushover. Derek loved Odette's independent mind. Princess Brunhilda took Derek by surprise when she came in donned in full armor and on horseback, but she had always been a bit show-offish. While their kingdom's armor was superb, Brunhilda was a bit too conflicted for Derek's taste.

The more princesses that filed out, the more Derek reflected on his love for Odette. No matter who it was they were - Leonora, Patricia, or Beatrice - none of them matched up to Odette. Where was she, anyway? It should be late enough for her to have changed out of swan form and arrive. Derek was beginning to get nervous. What if she didn't come? What if the enchanter had stopped her? Derek would find him and force him to free Odette! His fears were quickly resolved, though, when shortly after the pageant concluded, there was a knock at the door. Derek's heart lifted. Chamberlain ran up quickly to answer the door, and standing at the entrance was Odette. Derek stared, enraptured, as she made her way down the long staircase towards him.


	10. Deceived

**Hey, everybody! I know I haven't updated in a while, but I've been involved in school and also suffered a lack of muse for a while. I would have updated sooner if I'd realized that I'd already written some that I hadn't published yet. Soo you guys get two chapters today because I feel bad about not updating for so long! Enjoy, we're at the climax!!

* * *

**

Rothbart had created a carriage for Odile to ride to Derek's castle in. He had sent her off late to further the assumption that she was Odette and to make sure that her entrance was noticed. Odile barely spoke a word the whole time; her heart ached at what she was about to do. Her long, luxurious blonde hair flowed loosely to her waist behind her. Odile rarely liked wearing her hair down like this. In the past she'd only done so when she was portraying Odette. Her gown was black with red accents. Odile liked red usually, but when she'd looked at herself in the mirror before leaving Swan Lake, she couldn't help but feel … evil. Like an imposter. These feelings had never bothered her before when she'd taken Odette's place. Why did they suddenly show up now?

Rothbart did not accompany her to the castle. She didn't know why, but she was glad. It would only make things worse. The footman opened the door to her carriage and when she stepped out, he looked astonished. She presumed that it must be because Odette had been missing for months, and now here she was, supposedly. She walked up to the steps of the palace, the one that she'd loathed visiting when she was a child and loathed even more now, and knocked on the door. There was a considerable pause before the chamberlain opened the door. The sight of him in his ridiculous uniform eased Odile slightly, but not enough to make her comfortable. She winked at him as she had in the past, but he seemed very pale. She walked quietly down the stairs toward where Derek stood.

Seeing him after more than a year shocked her. He really had grown up and become quite handsome, and it was difficult for her to place the irritating boy she'd known into his body. She supposed it didn't matter, though. She concealed her mixed emotions easily behind a lovely mask, one that she had perfected over her lifetime. She approached Derek and paused before him. "I was so worried! I almost thought –" he began, but she cut him off.

"Nothing could keep me away," she said, as instructed by Rothbart. But what had he thought? It sounded like he had been afraid she wouldn't come! This might just be because he was so disinterested in all the other princesses present that she seemed like his best option. She felt nervous under the eyes of everyone in the ballroom. They were just as shocked at her appearance at the ball as the footman had been. With everyone staring at her, she felt that her ruse would be discovered at any moment. She began to dance with Derek, a motion that felt off to her. She had no feelings for him and as far as she knew, he had no feelings for her. Then why was he looking at her with such passion in his face? Something didn't seem right. It made her feel even more like a liar. It had been easy when they hadn't cared for each other, but now it felt like she was lying in the worst way.

"Something about you seems … I don't know … different," Derek said to her. Odile held back the look of shock that had been about to cross her face. Different? How would he know? He'd never met Odette save for last night when he'd met her accidentally. How could he tell? Wait, maybe he didn't. Perhaps he was just speculating. She, Odile, was different anyway. She wasn't the same girl that had left this castle nearly a year ago and never returned. She knew much more pain now, and perhaps that was evident in her demeanor. But to distract him, she pulled from the small pocket in her dress the locket that belonged to her sister.

"Don't worry," she said. "After tonight, everything will be perfect." This was another lie on Odile's part. Nothing would be perfect, not for her, and not for them. It would be better, certainly, but definitely not perfect.

"Yes! Yes, of course," Derek replied, taking the locket and slipping it around her traitorous neck. Why did he sound so convinced? He didn't love her! How could he think things would be perfect? "Rodgers! I want to make an announcement! Stop the music!" Odile stopped dancing and curtsied, concealing her surprise. He would do it so soon? Her heart clenched now with every word that he spoke. His words would condemn them to a life together, didn't he know that? They'd always been miserable together, and now he was going to bind them for eternity? Her heart sank at his foolishness. He knew as well as she that this was the way things had to be, happiness aside. Derek led her to the middle of the ballroom.

* * *

Meanwhile, Odette had escaped from the tower that Rothbart had locked her in. She couldn't have done it without her friends, but she flew with all the speed she could muster to Derek's castle. She wasn't human, but she had to get to the ball! Otherwise she would never be free. Finally she arrived, and she flew by the window to the ballroom. On looking in, she nearly fell out of the sky at the sight she beheld. It was her sister, Odile, in the ballroom! Not only that, she was in Derek's arms. She gasped. She hadn't seen Odile in months! Why was she there now? Had they found her and were now forcing her to take Odette's place as Derek's bride? Why was Derek acting so lovingly toward her? The devastating thought occurred to her that he didn't even know that it was Odile and not Odette. She had to get into that castle!

* * *

"King and Queens," Derek began, addressing the assembly. "Ladies and gentlemen. Mother," he said, looking towards Queen Uberta. Odile's heart was thumping uncomfortably in her chest. "I have an announcement to make. Today, I have found my bride!" Cheers erupted around them, and Odile held her breath to keep from screaming. "I present her to you as the future queen of our fair kingdom." Odile slipped her hand into Derek's trying to be convincing. When he looked at her, she smiled at him as though she loved the thought of being his wife for the rest of her life. She caught of glimpse of something behind his head and out the window, though. When he looked, she nearly lost it.

It was Odette, in swan form, outside the window! What was she doing here? She didn't want to marry Derek, so was she here, trying so hard to get into the castle? Why was she still a swan? Rothbart had promised that he would set her free! Odile began to realize that she had been tricked. Odette would remain a swan forever if she did this!

"And as proof of my love to her, I make a vow to break all vows; a vow stronger than all the powers of the earth!" Derek continued. Odile grabbed onto his arm to try and get him to stop speaking, but he misunderstood and drew her closer. Everything was going wrong, didn't he see that? "…before you, and before the whole world…" Why was he still talking? Odile stepped away from him, still trying to get his attention with her eyes. "I make a vow of everlasting love … to Odette!" Odile's heart sank. This couldn't be happening! She wasn't Odette! She wanted to scream. She looked to the window and could no longer see Odette there. Just as she looked, the windows all around burst open and the candles went out. Odile felt frozen with terror; she knew magic when she saw it.

The large doors at the other end of the ballroom opened wide, and Rothbart entered. Odile stumbled backward. What was he doing here? She'd done everything he'd asked! She trembled as Derek advanced forward towards Rothbart. "Hello, little prince," Rothbart said.

"Who are you?" Derek demanded.

"So you have pledged your love to another, eh?" Rothbart taunted, raising his eyebrows.

"What are you talking about?" Derek asked. "This is Odette!" He motioned one arm back to the trembling princess. She wanted to scream no, but her voice had fled from her body with any courage she'd once had.

"No! Odette is mine!" Rothbart informed the prince menacingly.

"You!" Derek said as if in recognition. How would he know Rothbart? Had Odette told him last night? "You have no power here! I made a vow! A vow of everlasting love!"

Rothbart cackled. "You made a vow alright! A vow of everlasting death!"

Odile's eyes widened as she saw the blast of magic coming at her. As the fire hit her bones, she collapsed to the floor. She felt herself beginning to transform slowly. "No … no … no!" she moaned, cringing against the pain. She vaguely heard Derek cry Odette's name as he ran over to her. He turned her over and drew back sharply as he beheld Bridget's face on her body. It was made uglier by the sorrow twisting her face.

"You should have left her to me!" Rothbart exclaimed. "Now, Odette will die!" He motioned out the window. Odile and Derek both looked to see a swan flying away from the window.

"No! Odette!" Derek screamed as Rothbart vanished into the air. He turned to Odile and shook her. "Who are you?" he demanded. Odile was sobbing and had trouble getting her words out. She found, however, that her body was changing but her voice was left in her. Rothbart must not have done the spell correctly.

"I … I am Odile! Odette's sister!" she said between sobs. "He tricked me, he said he'd set us free! He made me do it! I didn't know!" She curled up and cried into her wrinkly old knees. "Derek, you have to hurry! She really will die, I feel it!" Odile gazed up at Derek through tear-streaked, pleading eyes. He was up immediately running off to get his horse. Odile struggled to stand and then followed behind him, but she was stopped at the door by guards. "Please, no!" Odile said. They seized her anyway and threw her on the ground before Queen Uberta, who suddenly looked more menacing that Odile had ever seen her.

"Please, Your Majesty!" Odile begged. "Believe me! Rothbart cursed me as well into this body, and he promised that he would set Odette and I free if I took her place at the ball! I'm so, so sorry! He tricked me!" she spoke swiftly, begging on her knees to the queen. The queen still looked doubtful, however. "My name is Odile Jacqueline Trinette, daughter of King William and Queen Annika. My sister is Odette Marguerite Renée, the eldest of the two of us, and she has been betrothed to your son Derek since she and I were born on September 19th, nineteen years ago!" She tried to pack as much information into one statement as she could.

Uberta looked shocked, but she muttered, "I believe you. What can be done for Odette?"

"I was held captive in Rothbart's castle for many months, and I know where his magic is. I don't know, but I might be able to save her if I could find a spell!" Odile had never performed magic in her life, but her sister's life was at stake. She had to at least try.

"You know your way there?" Queen Uberta asked.

Odile nodded fervently. "All I need is a horse!"

"You have it!" Uberta snapped her fingers and the soldiers led her to the stable and gave her a horse. She charged it on to Rothbart's castle, hoping that it wouldn't be too late to save her sister.


	11. A Desperate Search

Odile urged her horse as quickly as it could go through the forest toward Rothbart's castle. She remembered how to get there from the landmarks she'd seen on the way to the ball. Her heart pounded ferociously against her rib cage, as if reminding her that while her own heart was strong, her beloved sister's was quickly fading. Time had no meaning as Odile spurred on, taking obscure paths through the forest. She didn't even stop to worry that she was lost. She could feel her sister ahead, and she relied on that connection to lead her to Swan Lake.

She was as out of breath as her horse when she arrived. Forgetting only momentarily that she was in Bridget's body, she fell farther than she expected from the back of her horse and crumpled on the ground. She commanded herself to get up, though, and she ran to the edge of the lake where Odette was sure to be. Perhaps it wasn't too late! Odile's heart stuttered as she approached and saw Odette laying spread out on her back on the stone ground. She hurried to her sister's side and kneeled beside her, grasping her hand.

"Odette! Odette, can you hear me? Please!" she wailed, shaking her sister gently. Odette stirred and opened her eyes weakly. "Odette!" Odile cried. Tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry! He lied to me! I didn't want any of this to happen! Odette!"

"Odile?" Odette said faintly, looking at Odile but not entirely seeing her. "I can't believe it's you … I thought I'd never hear your voice again!"

"I'm here! I'm going to try to save you!" Odile said, kissing the back of her sister's hand.

"Odile, you can't," Odette said.

"Since when has that ever stopped me?" Odile demanded, tears burning her face. "I love you, Odette. I won't let you die." Odile heard crashing in the trees nearby. She didn't know if it was Rothbart or Derek, so she quickly kissed her sister's forehead and fled behind a nearby tree. She wasn't sure why she was hesitating; perhaps she hoped that she could get some kind of a clue as to what to do from listening to what was going on.

She could just see past a few branches of a bush to see that it was Derek who had been behind her. Odile watched Derek bend over Odette just as she had done moments before. She smothered her sobs in her sleeve, but the tears still ran freely down her face. She couldn't hear all of what Derek was saying, but what she heard echoed her own screaming heart. _What have I done to you? Forgive me, Odette, forgive me! _Then Odette responded even more faintly than she had before. Odile was watching her sister die, and it was her fault! Odile had never hated herself more than at that moment. Suddenly, she heard Derek roar oaths at the sky, insisting that the vow he had mistakenly made to Odile had been meant for Odette. Odile had no doubt of that now, despite the years Odile had taken her sister's name and face. How could she have not seen before that he truly did love Odette, and she him? The love that she was witnessing was not the product of numerous summers spent together, but an even deeper connection. Derek loved Odette, not what he thought Odette to be.

Odile had to smother a gasp when she saw Rothbart's form approach from the other end of the clearing. Derek stood and stormed up to the magician. "Don't you dare let her die!" Derek commanded, getting close to Odile's captor.

Rothbart only chuckled, a sound that now chilled Odile to the bone. "Is that a threat?"

"Don't you dare let her die!" Derek repeated, seizing the front of Rothbart's black robes. Odile found herself impressed at his bravery, but feared for him at the same time.

"Oh, it _is_ a threat!" Rothbart said, chuckling once more.

"You're the only one with the power! Now do it!" Derek demanded, shaking Rothbart.

Odile suddenly had an idea. The power! She had come here to perform a spell, but from the beginning she had doubted that she would be able to do it. How could she perform a spell if she didn't have any power? No, there was only one way to stop Rothbart and save Odette: destroy Rothbart's power! She cringed as Rothbart flung Derek backward onto the ground. She knew what was coming. In her mind's eye she saw the night when she had first been captured. Before her eyes, Rothbart transformed into his hideous beast form, the one that Odile had feared provoking during her entire captivity. Now was her only chance to get to the castle without catching Derek or Rothbart's attention.

She broke away from the foliage she was hiding behind and charged up to the castle as fast as her weak legs could carry her. She was almost to the castle when she tripped over something large. She heard protests around her. She turned around to get up, but before she could, something had jumped on her face and was attacking her. "Zis ees for Odette!" exclaimed the creature attached to her face. Odile stood to try to shake it off, but as she stood, something else attacked her from the air, yanking at her hair. Odile shrieked, but it was drowned out by the roar of Rothbart.

"Stop, stop!" Odile exclaimed. "I'm here to help!"

"Yes, zat's one we've all 'eard before!" shouted the thing on her face.

"No! You don't understand! Odette is my sister!"

The yanking at her scalp stopped. "Sister, eh?" The puffin flew off her head and landed on the ground in front of her. "Jean-Bob, letter go!"

"I've got her leg!" said the turtle, which had indeed grabbed onto her leg and was weighing her down.

Jean-Bob let go of Odile's face and hopped to the ground. The frog eyed her suspiciously.

"Listen here, Bridget! If yer Odette's sister, how is it yer so old?" the puffin inquired, not looking at all convinced.

"I'm not Bridget! I'm Odile, trapped in Bridget's body!" Odile explained for the third time that night. She scanned the grounds and gasped when she saw the tabby cat prowling at the base of a tree some ways off. "That's Bridget!" she said, pointing at the cat.

"Tush tush! Explains why she always plays with 'er food!" the puffin agreed.

"Bridget doesn't talk like that," the turtle at her legs pointed out.

"Please, you've got to let me go! I need to find Rothbart's power and destroy it before my sister dies! She doesn't have much time left!" Odile pleaded.

"What? You are just going to believe her?" Jean-Bob asked, appalled.

"Yesser, me thinks I am!" the puffin said. "Let's go!"

Odile felt the turtle let go of her leg and she followed the puffin into the castle. The first place she went was up the stairs to Rothbart's chambers. She had never been allowed inside to clean them, so there must be something in there! The frog clung to the back of her dress, yelling about insanity and something about becoming a prince. Odile barged into the room, which was, amazingly, unlocked. Rothbart must have been so confident that he'd gotten rid of her that he had not bothered to take such precautions. Odile dug through the room, tossing scrolls and books every which way in search of the item that contained his power. The puffin knocked things about, too. The floor couldn't be seen once they were through because of all the papers they'd knocked down.

"It's 'opeless!" Jean-Bob exclaimed. He stood on the top of a small bookcase and leaned against the wall, pressing his hand against his forehead. The brick in the wall, however, gave way, and Jean-Bob slid down. The bricks around the top of the bookcase slid away, revealing a secret opening in the wall. It was rather large, like a whole cabinet. Inside, there was a large glass orb. Within it, Odile could see volts of power dashing across it like lightning during a storm. She reached out and touched it, hesitating for a moment in case it would be painful, but nothing happened. She pulled it out and held it in her hands.

"Rothbart's power!" she exclaimed. "This has to be it!" She held the orb in her hands almost reverently, and she was suddenly uncertain of what to do.

"Well, what are yeh waiting for?" the puffin asked, perching on the bookcase. "Drop it! Break it! Smash it!"

Odile shook her head. "It might explode! Then we're all dead!"

"Well, zat's swell!" Jean-Bob exclaimed. "She'd got ze solution to all our problems and she's too afraid to do anyzing about it!

Odile swelled with anger. "Do you think I don't know that?" She frowned deeply, searching desperately for a solution.

"Why not throw it in the lake?" the turtle suggested. Odile whipped around and looked at him. She hadn't realized that he had arrived in the room.

"That might work!" Odile said, quickly thinking it over. "Then, if it does explode, no one but Rothbart will be hurt!"

"Hurry!" the puffin exclaimed. They all rushed out of the room and down the many flights of stairs to the exit of the castle. They turned toward the lake shore, but Odile suddenly stopped. She could just see to the opposite shore where Derek was battling Rothbart. She saw shards of his sword strewn about and Rothbart advancing on him quickly. Derek was losing!

"No, you can't come with. I don't know for sure what will happen! And Derek needs help; you need to go to him!" Odile instructed urgently. The puffin saluted her and the three creatures swerved off to where Derek was being attacked. Odile ran around to the beach where she could have a better chance at getting the orb farther into the lake. She had just lifted the orb over her head to throw it when she was startled by a moaning voice nearby. She turned to look and was astonished to see Bromley, standing there with his bow and an arrow knocked. He was directly across the lake from Derek, who had just stood with his bow. Where it had come from, Odile had no idea. She looked from Bromley to Derek and suddenly understood what was going on. It was a game that he and Derek had talked about often, but Odile had never seen them do it!

Odile watched with anticipation as Bromley fired his shot and held her breath even when Derek caught the arrow. Rothbart was closing in on him from the sky. He wouldn't make it! But just as it seemed that Rothbart would land the final blow, Derek's arrow pierced his chest and Rothbart let out a horrific scream. Odile was prepared to watch him go down, but an intense burning on her hands drew her eyes away. She screamed and tried to drop the orb, but it wouldn't leave her hands. It was as if it were fastening itself onto her! The burning extended from her hands all the way up her arms and throughout her body. The pain was so intense Odile couldn't even see anything. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to will away the pain, but it was no use.

The burning overwhelmed her and she dropped to the ground, knocked completely unconscious.


	12. Reparations

**Hey, everyone! We're getting towards the end! I just want to let you know that this chapter IS NOT the last chapter. I believe there will be one or two more, depending on how things fall and how I decide to write things. But yes, this is nearly at and end. I want to thank everyone who's stuck with me and read this, particularly those who reviewed. Enjoy the last few chapters!**

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The veiled woman at the wedding ball caught everyone's attention. She was rather conspicuous with her short lace veil. It was white and opaque except for a thin section near her eyes that was transparent. Through it could just be seen her piercing blue eyes that, if anyone cared to examine them, compared very easily to Princess Odette's. But no one did care to examine them, so Odile knew that her mask was doing its job.

Odile was garbed in a very simple periwinkle gown with long white sleeves. A blue floor-length cloak emphasized her slender neck. Her long blonde hair was pinned up into a silver netted head dress. Nobody recognized her, and that was just the way she wanted it. She received word that the princess, her sister, was out in the courtyard. She made her way there and waited until Odette was alone before approaching her.

Odette looked absolutely radiant in her wedding gown. Her smile was more beautiful than Odile had ever seen it. How could she ever have thought that this was not what Odette wanted? The thought nearly brought tears to Odile's eyes. She tried to stay slightly concealed behind a fern while she gathered up her nerve, but Odette spotted her quickly.

"May I help you?" Odette asked. The sound of her sister's voice sent a shockwave through Odile's body. It was such a welcome sound, but it was terrifying at the same time.

Odile took a couple of steps forward, but then hesitated.

"Who are you?" Odette said, clearly suspicious and a little uneasy. Odile didn't blame her.

"Odette … " Odile began. A sob caught in her throat. She had told herself that she wasn't going to cry! But how couldn't she when faced with her beloved sister for the first time since that night? The last time she had seen Odette, the princess had been dying. The echo of that image flashed before Odile's eyes painfully. She pushed back her veil to reveal her face.

Odette gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth. "Odile!"

"Can you ever forgive me, sister?" Odile begged, stepping forward. "I'm so, so sorry, Odette!"

Her words were cut short when Odette rushed forward and embraced her tightly. Though surprised, Odile quickly returned the hug. Her tears began to flow freely, and she cried into her sister's shoulder. She cried for what they'd been through, what she'd done, and where they were now. She wasn't sure how long they stood there holding each other, but eventually Odette leaned back, holding Odile at arm's length.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" she gasped. Odile could only smile weakly. "What happened to you?"

"Rothbart," Odile replied, the name burning like fire on her tongue. "I was … Bridget. Or a cat, depending on the day."

Odette gasped. "What?" But she needed no further explanation, because she again pulled her twin into her arms.

"I didn't know you were the swan," Odile muttered into Odette's hair. "Not until the night before the ball. He threatened to kill us if I didn't take your place. I swear that I didn't know you loved him, Odette!"

"Shh…" Odette said, patting the back of Odile's head. "I know. It's all right."

"Really?" Odile whispered, feeling like a little girl again. That's how helpless she felt.

"Of course. I could never hate you for that," Odette assured her. "You were trying to save me. Rothbart tricked you, and you were not at fault."

"Oh, thank you!" Odile exclaimed, smiling for the first time that evening. The fear that she'd been harboring about this evening and the guilt over what she had unwittingly done had been nearly crushing. Now, all at once, that burden was lifted with these words of her sister's.

"We are here now, and that's what matters," Odette said.

"I'm making a vow of honesty, Odette," said Odile abruptly.

"What?" Odette asked.

"It was lying that made all of this come about. In a moment I will pledge never to tell another lie."

Odette smiled. "That is honorable, Odile."

Odile grimaced. "It does mean that there is one thing we must do." This was another thing that she knew had to happen tonight. She had debated this for weeks. She could just pretend it had never happened, but Odile wanted to start fresh. She couldn't do that if she was still holding on to that secret.

Her sister looked confused. "Odette!" someone behind them called.

Odile looked behind her to see Derek approached, and she paled. Her confession was much easier said than done. His eyes widened when he saw her. "You!" he exclaimed angrily. She quailed at the look on his face.

"Derek!" Odette said sternly. "She is my sister; please treat her as such!" She stepped in front of Odile slightly in a protective motion.

"She almost killed you!" Derek cried, pointing a condemning finger at his bride's twin. Odile felt like she had been pierced with an arrow of anger and shame, and she bowed her head.

"She did so unknowingly and unwillingly," Odette informed him. "I have forgiven her and she is blameless."

"There is, however, something we must confess," Odile said, made confident by her sister's boldness. She looked pointedly at Odette, whose eyes widened with understanding. She didn't protest, but instead she looked resigned. It was only time, and it was best that the truth come out sooner than later.

Odile stepped forward and joined Derek and Odette's hands. "Let me preface this by saying that you two are destined for a happy life together, and after these words are spoken, they will be forgotten and all will leave with a clear conscience." She laid one pale hand across the two, but she pulled it back when her hand felt a brief, inexplicable shock. Derek looked puzzled, but Odile was ready.

"Do you remember all those summers when you and Odette were brought together?" she asked. He nodded, so she continued. "That was not Odette. It was I."

Derek began to protest, but Odette cut him off.

"It's true, Derek. My mother did not want me married off against my will. So she sent Odile in my place every year. But when Odile was captured by Rothbart, I took my rightful place as your betrothed," she explained. She seemed intensely nervous, but Odile didn't blame her. It was a difficult secret to share, as they'd hidden it from everybody all their lives. Not to mention that she'd just been married that day, and she was now confessing to her husband that she was not who he thought she was.

"You have never kissed anything but my hand; and that to your chagrin," Odile assured Derek, smirking.

Derek looked shocked. "But … does that mean I'm in love with … her?" Derek asked incredulously. The disgusted look on his face irritated Odile. Clearly her transgression was not forgiven in his eyes.

"No!" Odile and Odette exclaimed at the same time.

"What good qualities you ever might have liked in me are increased tenfold in Odette," Odile elaborated. "And her love for you is as true as mine never could have been."

Odette nodded urgently and held Derek's arm. Derek still looked amazed, but accepting. Odile was impressed with how well he was handling it. "You'll also be pleased to hear that Odette never wins at cards!" she laughed. Derek and Odette joined in her laughter, and then Derek kissed Odette tenderly.

"And now, before you both, the future king and queen of this land, I make my pledge," Odile said. She clasped her hands and bowed her head. "I vow never to tell a lie or speak a falsehood from now until the day I die. My lips shall be shut if ever I consider breaking this pledge. Do me the service of witnessing my vow."

"We do," Derek said, and Odette nodded. Odile, feeling that same odd shock, unclasped her hands. She looked up at her sister and brother-in-law and smiled solemnly.

"I shall not make a vow as binding, but I also plan to wear this veil in public assemblies from now on. My resemblance to our future queen could be dangerous as it has proved to be several times over the course of our lives. It is best that this does not happen again," Odile explained.

"What do you plan to do, sister?" Odette asked. She wasn't referring to the veil, but Odile's future actions as a whole.

Odile sighed. "I don't know. I suppose I should return to our kingdom and help straighten out the mess there that came as a result of our disappearances and our father's death."

"That sounds wise," Odette agreed. "You do realize that you are queen now?"

Shock overcame Odile briefly before she composed herself. She shook her head. "No, I do not wish to be queen. That position has always been reserved for you. Your marriage to Derek was meant to join our kingdoms."

Odette was thoughtful for a moment. "That gives us a fairly substantial kingdom. Suppose I were to appoint you governor of the region, to help in day to day running of things there?"

Odile pondered the idea. "Perhaps not right away. We need to return things to working order, but I confess that I'm not completely opposed to the idea."

Odette smiled. "You would make an excellent governor, Odile," she said. She moved forward and embraced her sister once again. "Do you plan to stay here long?"

Odile shook her head. "No. My return to this place was not under the best of circumstances. It would be best for me to return home sooner rather than later. I was planning on leaving tonight, after I saw you."

"But Odile, I have just gotten you back!" Odette argued.

"I will never be far," Odile assured her. "I will make sure that you always know where I am from now on. I'll always be there when you need me."

"I will miss you," Odette said quietly.

"And I will miss you. But I'll return as soon as possible," Odile promised. She squeezed her sister tightly before pulling away. "It's best I go now, to not prolong things more than necessary." She began to leave the courtyard, but she stopped near Derek. "Thank you, Derek, for everything that you have done for my sister. I will never forget it," she said sincerely. She extended her hand and he shook it, mending things at least partly between them. With that, Odile readjusted her veil and entered into the ballroom, making her way out of the castle and to the carriage that she had prepared for herself. Once she climbed in, she cried a little, but this time she cried tears of happiness that all things had turned out whole again.


End file.
